i love good luck

i'm so excited, but not after some serious frustration.

i've been wanting to see this play, argonautika, downtown through lookingglass theatre. i finally decided last night that i wanted to go this coming saturday afternoon, since the matinee is two-for-one tickets ($24 a ticket, rather than $48 and up for other weekend shows). i went online and, of course, sold out. so i called the box office. yes, they had 2 tickets, but they were obstructed view (cannot see the gangplank - unacceptable) and across the aisle from each other (not much for a date).

so i decided to check other saturday shows later in the run (only goes through dec 23rd). almost all sold out, one show had corner balcony tickets available (far from ideal), but i was about ready to take anything at this point. i checked some other shows and when i found nothing, went back to that date to buy the ucky balcony tix. not available. aaaaaaargh. so i was very bummed.

i called the box office back to see what they had, and she told me that two tickets were available for this saturday. i said, "right, the obstructed view ones." nooooo. two front row tickets near the center aisle had opened up right then... for this saturday. i snatched those up as quickly as i could rattle off my debit card number. whooohoo! i get to see this play - i was seriously afraid it wasn't going to work out. what great luck to call at just the right moment. i can't wait to see it.

reviews: variety.com, the reader, chicago sun-times, metromix, theatermania.com, timeout.com, chicagocritic.com,

adoring this sofa

okay, so i scrolled down on bltd (getting tired of typing it all out), and saw this couch from cb2. i love it, love it, love it. the lines are great, it's different but not too out there. the price is pretty darn good, too. if only i could justify $800 for a couch i don't need. i hope they carry this one a while (read: until i'm ready to buy a couch). i love the high arms and high back. definitely would need to give it a good sit, though, to check the comfort factor. looks like it would be fine, though, especially with a bunch of bright throw pillows. this would go perfectly with my current living room color scheme.

how i'd love a fireplace

this is really cool, if not a bit too expensive for me at the moment. i love fireplaces, but living in an apartment, or even condo, i don't have much choice in the matter. my previous two apartments had fireplaces but my current abode does not. even when i did have a fireplace, the cleaning, storing and buying firewood, and other un-fun aspects of the ordeal made me hesitate to have a fire, despite how much i love the ambiance and aesthetic they bring. this beauty runs on ethanol (organic, clean burning, etc) and doesn't require a chimney, gas line, or anything. you just mount it on the wall and fill up the reservoir and voila, fireplace in any room you want. there are empty spots on the walls in both my living room and bedroom if anybody has an extra $1260 (x2) burning a hole in their pocket. spotted on better living through design (quickly turning into my fave site if that isn't too obvious).

willydilly

also spotted on better living through design, this lamp is just lovely. i really like the lines and that it is simple, but not particularly predictable or boring. it's got a unique touch. also, it doesn't break the bank. you can get it for only $145 here. not too shabby.

sun in a jar

saw this on better living through design today and thought it was such a cute idea. solar panels store sunlight so you can enjoy it later on. i love how warm it looks.

preordered!

'tis the season already. the company choir practices in a room adjacent to my cubicle, so despite me feeling like it is waaaay too early to be singing Christmas carols, i get to hear them 2-3 times per week (groan). some may enjoy it but i do not. it does offer me a nice segway into this find, though:

for those of us with excellent taste in tunes (we know who we are), i highly recommend this cd box set of Christmas music from sufjan stevens (go hope). 5 discs for $19, plus all sorts of other cute and fun goodies - i challenge you to beat that. go ahead. try.

you can even go to the record label's website (asthmatickitty.com) and listen to any of 5 discs streaming (requires quicktime). i am doing that as i type and i'm totally sold. it is a mixture of classical carols/songs and original tunes, and i love it so far (and im only on disc 1). perfect to pop in while putzing around the house during that time of year (or whenever, i suppose).

i'm trying to decide if i should buy his michigan and illinois cds (only $10 each!) as well and maybe a t-shirt ($12 and made from american apparel tshirts, so they are sweatshop free and super fashionable), or if those go on my christmas list (hint, hint!). anyway, definitely check this out. oh, bonus, shipping is only $2. yeah. sold.